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In yesterday’s post, Laina mentioned that when she wears eyeliner, she feels like it makes her eyes smaller, rather than bigger. I have definitely struggled with the same problem, so here are a few tips to help keep your eyes looking big and bright:

1. Use soft lines. When you apply eyeliner, go back and smudge it! A harsh line can make your eye feel confined, but smudging blurs the line and makes your eyes look bigger.

2. Work outside the lines. Don’t line the inner rim of your eyes; line the skin just below it. The effect? The light skin on your inner rim will blend with the white of your eyes, making it appear larger.

3. Make the most of your shadow. Use a light shadow all over your lid, then go back and define the outer edge of your eye with something darker. It doesn’t have to be a dramatic smokey eye, but adding the dimension creates an illusion that will totally work in your favor.

4. Boost your lashes. False eyelashes will seriously pump up the volume on your eyes and make them look nice and big. Try individual lashes for a look that you can pull of every day.

5. Don’t forget to highlight! Add a shimmery highlighter on the inner corner of your eyes and right under the eyebrow to help brighten and define your eyes.

6. Keep your brows in tip top shape. Having well-groomed brows is almost as good as getting a face lift! Have a pro shape your eyebrows so they best suit your face shape, and make sure you keep them maintained.

Not too hard, right?! Try out these tricks over the weekend and let me know how it goes!

Do you use any of these eye-enlarging tips? Got any good tricks of your own? And what are you up to this weekend? Please share in the comments!

Today I’m answering a question sent in from a reader, just like you! Laina writes:

I was wondering if you could do a how-to for doing a clean 60’s style cat-eye. I never use eyeliner because I feel like it ends up making my eyes look smaller, not bigger, but I really love this retro look, especially when you leave the rest of the face natural...

I was drooling over cat eyes back in December, so I was super happy to receive this email! Here are the steps to creating this simple, retro look:

Step 2: Outline your upper lid with a black pencil liner. This will help to keep the liquid liner smooth and defined.

Step 3: To get a good angle on your cat eye, use your finger to pull your lid up toward the tip of your eyebrow and follow the crease as far out as you’d like.

Step 4: Follow this line with liquid liner in small, short strokes. Keep the line super-thin on the inner eye and draw it thicker as you reach the outside of the lid.

Step 5: Complete by adding a couple coats of black mascara, and you’re good to go!

It may take a few tries, but once you get the feel for this eyeliner trick, it’ll be a regular in your beauty arsenal. Good luck, and come back tomorrow for tips on making your eyes look bigger with makeup!

Are you a fan of the cat eye? Do you wear it often? Have you tried this layering liner technique? Tell me about it in the comments!

We sent out our invitations a couple of weeks ago, and RSVP’s have been rolling in, slowly but steadily. Meanwhile, we’ve also received a few wedding invites recently, and it’s got me thinking about how long people wait before they RSVP.

I’m the kind of person who mails out her RSVP card the day after I get the invite in the mail. This is partly because I’m planning a wedding, and I know that brides feel a sense of relief every time they receive an RSVP, knowing it’s one less person they have to track down after the “due date”. But I also do it because I know I’ll space it out if I don’t do it right away.

However, I recently read a blog post on Glamour.com, where a reader wrote in wondering if she could change her RSVP. She mailed in her card right away with a “YES” response, but something came up and she could no longer attend. This is definitely a risk you run by responding right away, so I can see why some people hold off on RSVPing until closer to the respond-by date.

Today is my last exam at school, and I could not be more nervous/excited! This test is 7 hours long, and requires a lot of preparation. There is NO WAY I could have rustled up all the necessary supplies without making about a hundred lists over the past week or so.

Today marks the beginning of my last week in cosmetology school!! I’m kind of in shock… I feel like I just started! I can’t tell you how happy I am to be rid of the maroon scrubs that I’ve been forced to wear everyday.

Travis and I have decided that once we move back to San Francisco after the wedding, we’re going to invest in some new clothes. It’ll be just in time for me to start interviewing for jobs and to celebrate the start of our new chapter together.

I’ve been browsing around for inspiration, and I’m loving the looks of these ladies…